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Citation
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Sugiyama T, Shibata A, Koohsari MJ, Tanamas SK, Oka K, Salmon J, Dunstan DW, Owen N. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2014; 47(6): 1204-1210. |
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Affiliation
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1 School of Population Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia 2 Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia 3 School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia 4 Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan 5 School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan 6 School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia 7 The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia 8 Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia 9 The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia. |
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Abstract
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PURPOSE: Environmental initiatives to support walking are keys to non-communicable disease prevention, but the relevant evidence comes mainly from cross-sectional studies. We examined neighborhood environmental attributes associated cross-sectionally with walking and those associated prospectively with walking maintenance.
METHODS: Data were from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study collected in 2004-05 (baseline) and in 2011-12 (follow-up). Participants who did not move residence during the study period (n=2684, age range: 30-77 at baseline) were categorized as regular walkers (walked 5 times/week or more) or not at baseline. Regular walkers were divided into those who stopped and those who maintained regular walking at follow-up. Regression analyses examined relationships of regular walking and walking maintenance with perceived attributes of neighborhood destinations and pedestrian environments.
RESULTS: Regular walking at baseline was significantly associated with availability of shops (OR: 1.13, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.22), many alternative routes (OR: 1.12, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.23), park or nature reserve (OR: 1.13, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.26), bicycle or walking tracks (OR: 1.08, 95%CI: 1.00, 1.17), and feeling safe to walk (OR: 1.18, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.38). The maintenance of regular walking was associated with availability of multiple alternative routes (OR: 1.19, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.38). Having many alternative routes and walking tracks were associated with walking maintenance among those who were not or had stopped working.
CONCLUSION: Neighborhood destinations (shops, parks) and pedestrian environments (alternative routes, walking trails, safety from crime) were found to be associated with regular walking, but only pedestrian environment attributes were found to be related to the maintenance of regular walking. Further evidence from prospective studies is required to identify other neighborhood environmental attributes that might support walking maintenance.
Language: en |